Lost and Misplaced
by DodemGM
Summary: When she opened her eyes, she realized she was still alive and found herself in a show she watched over a decade ago. All because higher powers enjoy punishing those that don't deserve it. Now, taking the place of the third child, she'll overcome her personal demons and do her best to help everyone, and fail along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**First and foremost, this story is inspired by 'Problem Child' written by Noble Beast and 'Deus ex Evangelion' written by ValikVicious. This story was written by the sole purpose of finally satiating my Plot Bunny. I am hesitant with this because, like the main character, it's been a LONG time since I saw this anime so my knowledge of it is very, very rusty; also, the characters are so unique in this show, so well defined, that I'm not sure I'll make them justice. I do feel I can take some liberties with it, so I'll do my best. I think I'll continue this until I find myself unavoidably stuck, if so, I'll give it some ending just to wrap things up. Until then, I hope you enjoy.**

**There is no beta. English is not my first language. Sorry**

* * *

A rush of burning pain overcame the entirety of her senses and she knew no more. After a beat of silence that only took less than a second, yet it felt like infinity, she was born once again. The existential circle of life was shattered by the fact that she had obtained life once again - especially not a life of her own.

She opened her eyes and a wave of dizziness came like a crashing wave, causing her to drop the phone she was holding - telling her the service line was dead due to an emergency - and promptly fell on her butt.

She looked around first. The streets were empty, devoid of the absolute sound of life. Not a person, animal or vehicle could be heard in the distance. She was utterly alone. She looked at herself, wearing clothes she never owned. The white shirt felt slightly constrictive against her developing chest… wait, that wasn't right.

She took notice of the photo that felt from her pocket, next to her legs, she grabbed it and saw a peculiar view. A woman in a _short_ skirt waved at the camera - at her - while she was inclined in a vintage looking sports car. There was an arrow pointing at her bosom and her name was scribbled at the top. It felt familiar.

"Wha-?!"

She glanced around once more. At the end of the street was a teenage girl with a dress - maybe a uniform? - And blue hair. That wasn't what caught her attention, what made her world turn upside down. It felt so familiar, so wrong, especially when the realization came like a furious train. The girl looked like her - It was her! Like a mirror. but her reflection portrayed no emotion. She was lifeless, as if there was no soul, there was no will, no-

The deafening sound of an odd looking helicopter saved her from the terrifying downward spiral that was her mind at the moment. So many things had happened in the blink of an eye, her mind couldn't keep up. And she realized it wouldn't for the foreseeable future once she notice the presence of a monster like none other than she had ever seen. It was taller than the buildings around her, its face reminded her of a skull or the masks that the old medieval doctors wore in the most infected areas of Europe. A red orb in the middle of its torso and its long hands didn't help the fact that such creature shouldn't exist. It was inconceivable, a horror like none other.

As if the universe itself hadn't have enough of her suffering, the screeching sounds if wheels in the pavement made her turn around to see a car right in front of her.

"Come on! Get in if you want to live!" The driver shouted. The voice was feminine, but not effeminate. It was the voice of a woman. A treacherous part of her mind made the remark that those words were from a movie reference. She moved, nonetheless, towards the car, noticing that the ghostly visage of herself had vanished. The girl was gone.

She looked at the woman sitting in the driver's seat, speeding away like the devil itself was behind them, which oddly enough was the truth. She glanced back to see the military choppers shooting the monster to no avail. No matter how much firepower hit the beast, it showed no sign of pain. The monster retaliated by shooting the choppers with a strange beam coming out of its palms. Looking closely, she noticed that it was solid. Soon enough the two were leaving the scene and the buildings became sparse, to the point they were riding through a mountain. The sudden stop made her bang her head in the dashboard.

"Ow..."

The voluptuous woman climbed on top of her. "What are they doing?" She said, as she glanced to the fight with her binoculars, she let out a gasp after a moment of silence "Hey! It can't be… they are using an N-2 Mine!"

Before she could reply a thunderous explosion send the car - and they included - through the sky.

Next thing she knew, she woke up in the most awkward position she had been. Somehow she had survive, and by the looks of it, this wasn't just a simple nightmare. She crawled out of the car, noting that the woman had just came about as well.

"Hey… are you ok?" The woman asked, dusting her clothes off.

"I think I broke my ass," She couldn't help it, the lame attempt at humor was her only consolation at the moment. "I think I bit the inside of my mouth, too."

"It's not the only thing," the woman said with some exasperation when she noted the swelling bump in her forehead. "Anyway, it's good to finally meet you, Akira Ikari. I'm Misato Katsuragi, but you already knew that." She winked, oblivious to her growing horror.

Ikari? Akira? That wasn't right, at all. Soon the pieces started forming the puzzle with the speed of a raging bull, bringing forth morbid thoughts of her situation. She was Akira? But it's not true, she was sure she wasn't. She knew where she was, but as much as she was sure that this world wouldn't exist, the evidence indicated the opposite. How then was she in this situation? Reliving the actions of someon else; it should be Shinji Ikari. What happened to the boy?

_Wrong, wrong, wrong… _her mind kept supplying, a flurry of emotions and thoughts bombarded her and she felt overwhelmed.

"Hey! Akira-chan, are you alright," Captain Misato Katsuragi approached the teen with concern when she saw her sway. "Come on, I need your help with the car." Akira seemed to come back to her senses and nodded.

"Are you ready?"

"... Yes."

"Okay then," Misato breathe, "One, two… three." They both pushed, bringing the car back into position. "Great Job, Akira-chan." Misato received no response. It turned out thatthe car's battery was damaged beyond repair after the impact, so Misato 'borrowed' one from another car, and grabbing other because she could. Akira said nothing against Misato's actions, of which the older woman was grateful.

The ride to the NERV headquarters at the Geofront was quiet, Misato eyed the girl feeling pity for her. She looked... scared for lack of a better word. Not really reacting or commenting on the situation around her; and as far as Katsuragi was aware, she was earth's final defense. Katsuragi made a call.

"Captain Katsuragi here. I have retrieved the V.I.P. Yes... yes. Prepare a lift... I'm glad you are concerned for our safety after using a damn N-2 Mine!... Yes, I'll take full responsability, it was my idea to pick her up, after all." She hung up. They weren't too happy to know that the child was so close to danger, and they were putting the blame on Misato.

Once they arrived at the elevator, the authorization was cleared and the march towards the underground base started.

"...what's going on?" Akira's voice was low.

"Right," Misato felt embarrassed, not explaining the girl what was happening. "We are heading towards NERV's headquarters. That's where your father is."

"My… father."

"Yes, Commander Ikari is in charge of several operations, he-"

"-protects the human race."

Letting a sigh, she let a sound of agreement. "Do you have the ID that was given to you?" The girl search several pockets before pulling out the card, she stared at the photo with a forlorn look. Misato was getting more concerned.

By now they could see the vast landscape that was the Geofront, it was a marvel in technology, allowing them to have biomass that conserved the remaining wild animals that survived the Second Impact in a controlled environment. Tokio-3's Geofront was solely focused on acting as NERV's hidden base. And yet the girl at her side glance at the place with wide-eyes, but not of surprise or wonder. More like…

"Why am I here?" Akira muttered, so low that Misato almost missed it.

"We'll explain it once we reach the base." The girl looked at her directly in the eyes. Misato thought it sounded crazy but it looked like something was missing in those eyes. Akira nodded and the silence returned once again.

She hadn't read the introductory manual Katsuragi gave to her, she knew about this. About Katsuragi, the monster above them and the people they were going to meet, but not about herself. Out of an entire unknown and impossible world, the only stranger at the moment was herself. She didn't belong here. At all. Who? Why? How? Those questions kept playing in her mind.

Once the lift stopped, they walked through the hallways, it shamed the Captain to admit to herself that she didn't knew the layout of the base. Yes, she was hired just recently, but it wasn't an excused. Even though she used it as such. Luckily Misato was given a map of the place to help her navigate around the facility after she was found lost for the fourth time.

It took a few minutes for the both to realize they were lost, or rather Misato had no idea where to go. Akira snatched the map from her hands and read it, suddenly taking control of the operation. Following the girl they made quick progress of advancing through the place. They took several elevators, by the fourth one a familiar figure greeted them.

"Captain Katsuragi, I was going to collect you, and your charge. You are late. I thought you were lost, again."

"Ritsuko… well," Misato let out a nervous chuckle, she was almost caught "We made it in time. After all it wasn't easy, you know? Having to survive an N-2 Mine blast, give us some credit."

"Right. So, this is her," the scientist gestured to the girl.

"Yes. Akira Ikari, the alternative Third Child, according to Marduk."

"Alternative…?" Akira asked confused at the two.

Misato let out a sigh while Dr Akagi told the girl, "You see, your brother was selected as the Third Child for the Evangelion Project. You were selected as an alternative because of your similarities - being a twin and everything - but due to his premature departure you are the only available choice."

"Eva...Evangelion?"

"Yes, Evangelion," Akagi let out a huff of annoyance, "Multi-purpose Humanoid Fighting Machine, they are earth's only fighting chance."

"What unit will she pilot?" Asked Katsuragi.

"Unit 01."

Misato frowned, but bit out any remark for the time being. They continue their trek and entered a darkened room, they walk for a while until the lights were turned on, in front of them was a giant machine, it was a monstrosity of human engineering. The giant was painted purple, with green as secondary color. To Akira it seemed the machine was staring right at her.

"Akira." The voice brought her back once more. She looked up to see…

"You…"

"It's been a while, daughter."

"Sir," Katsuragi's voice cut their moment. "Is it a good idea to bring her to the project so soon? She has no knowledge of piloting the Eva, and unit 01 hasn't let anyone pilot it!"

"We don't have any other options. We can't have Rei." Akagi said.

"That's exactly what I mean. It took Rei _months_ to be able to synchronize with the Eva." Katsuragi retorted.

"Enough, that is not of your concern, Captain." Gendo Ikari spoke again. "Will you pilot the Eva, or not?" He asked his daughter.

There was a moment of silence before she replied, "Why should I?" Her voice was low but it was heard by everyone in the room, "Why am I here anyway? Nothing about this is right! This is some cosmic fucking joke!" She took a shaky breath "No, no. I don't want to pilot! I don't want to be _here!"_ By the end she was yelling, and not at him. So far it had been the most overwhelming hours of her life and she was sure it wasn't ending any time soon.

Silence, and…

"So be it. Fuyutsuki, bring Rei." The sub-commander nodded before turning on a screen. "I am disappointed Akira. I would expect something like this from your brother, but not you."

Katsuragi put a hand on the girl's shoulder in comfort, she didn't expect this outburst from her. It seemed her profile overlooked her recent emotional state, most likely affected by the death of her brother. "It's ok Akira-chan. We'll leave, you don't have to worry."

The doors of the place opened, followed by a group of doctors pulling a medical bed with a heavily bandaged girl on it.

It was Rei.

The room's light blared red, followed by an emergency announcement, the Angel had started its attack to the Geofront. The place shook with debris falling. Misato tried to pull Akira close to her to protect her, but the girl slipped away from her grasp, running fast enough to catch the falling Rei to avoid any further injury.

She noticed too late that one of the falling rocks were going to fall on top of her, she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the painful impact. Suddenly, the Eva unit 01 moved its arm to shield Akira and the wounded pilot.

"No way…" Akira said faintly.

"Unit 01 moved?" Misato was incredulous. Voices all around commented on the impossibility of the machine's action. But Akira paid them no mind.

"Are you hurt?" She asked the bandaged girl.

The girl was quiet, they stared at each other. An indescribable sense of misplacement filled Akira's heart; she was staring at herself, it was like looking at a mirror, but it was wrong, it wasn't her face and yet… Rei for her part was entranced, it was a similar emotion for her, but instead of confusion, it felt like finding something she wasn't aware she had lost or was missing, if she could only… "I'm fine." her voice was soft. Akira's eyes focused and she nodded.

"Fine!" Akira stared at the commander. "I'll pilot the damn thing. But I'll make one thing clear, if I die my death will be in _your _hands, and every human that dies for that matter. And second, I'm not doing this for you, nor will I, ever. Only someone as wretched could use children to do their job. You're no man, you're a coward."

"...prepare her." Was the only thing he said.

She helped putting Rei back to the stretcher and followed Captain Katsuragi to prepare herself. Soon enough she was given two hair clips that in reality were Neuronal Clips, that allow her to obtain a better mental connection with the Eva; and she was set in the Entry Plug ready to be inserted to the Eva.

"So, will anyone explain this to me, or will I run like a headless chicken, before I actually lose my head?"

There was a sigh over the technical babble that her comm system was picking up. A pop up that said 'AUDIO ONLY' appeared in front of her, Dr Akagi spoke, "You are in the Entry Plug, it's the cabin used by the Evangelion pilots to control the machine. When the insertion is over we'll fill it up with LCL. Don't worry, you can breathe it. It helps with the synchronization." She stopped for a second to answer to some of the engineers, "Anyway, Synchronization. It's what will determine _if _and _how_ much you can operate the Eva. The lower your synch is, the harder is to move it; if it's too low then it won't move at all, so try to clear your mind and aim for a high synch."

"Okay, but _how_ do I move it?"

"It's based on your own movements! Now be quiet!"

It was dark. The voices announced the initiation of the LCL process. She closed her eyes, allowing the blood like liquid to fill her lungs. It was disgusting.

"Connect to main power supply"

"Transmit power to all connections"

"Commence second contact"

"Initiate synchronization"

Then, the warmth came. It filled her entire being, like a light that chases the monsters away, or the loving embrace that erases the most deepest of pains; the whispers of undying love. It completed her, and she knew it was real, making her whole and she _was_ \- she _is_ one with it_._ The fragility that had shaped her so far was melting away, she felt like a feather in the summer breeze. She was safe and not alone.

"Unbelievable… that's-"

"Are the numbers right?"

"Doctor Akagi!-"

"Synchronization levels!-"

"Akira-chan, can you hear me?"

_Son? ... Children... who… no! _a shapeless voice spoke, it came from all her directions. It sounded distressed, and by the end there was fury.

And the darkness came again, oppressive and overwhelming; choking her, taking her breath away. Just like before she woke up here. She couldn't move. Her muscles tighten and twisted; she felt her mind melting and her heart crumbling. It wasn't real, it couldn't be real, but oh it hurts so much. Her insides were being squashed. She squirmed, sobbing, begging for the pain - _no, not pain, please no more pain_ \- to stop.

"Pl-please…stop!"

The comms channel was gone, the warmth was gone, the light, everything. Her constantly shifting reality amounted to a total sum of nothing; nothing of note, nothing of worth.

Who was she anyway? Not a name, not an expectation. Not anymore. In the end, all that she accomplished was nothing, and so, nothing mattered. But her mind screamed, she wanted something, she craved for something she knew she missed, something, or maybe it was someone. She couldn't be a zero. She wanted and wanted and wanted. The maelstrom of emotions concluded in her biggest desire, just to _be_ and be free.

"Please…I'm sorry. Please. Don't…hurt…"

The raging fury quieted down, somehow hearing her pleas. Slowly, so very slowly the pain ceased, color came to her life again, but the discomfort was still there, letting her know, reminding her. The shakes and rumbling surrounding her disappeared, she hadn't noticed before. It was replaced by a quiet hum. The connection was restared

It was all so fast and so confusing, she was left speechless. Something completely different happened. Something beautiful. She became a star, floating peacefully in the vast array of the endless sky. She shine brightly alongside many others, she wasn't alone, she didn't felt pain. She was wonderful, and everything was fine.

"Akira-chan! Please, respond!"

"... Katsuragi…"

"Thank god. Are you okay? Suddenly all the readings went crazy and we lost communication. How are you feeling?"

There were so many voices in her head, all sounding frantic, the engineers and operators were scrambling around, trying to make sense of what was happening. It was so very different at the quiet tranquility that was her Entry Plug "...Dizzy."

Misato sighed for the umpteenth time that day, "That's good, take it easy. We'll prepare launch, I'll guide you once you reach the surface, understood?"

"... Yes, ma'am."

Misato chuckled, 'Ma'am?_ Not bad, I could get use to it'._ "Well then, everything ready?"

One of the operators looked at Misato, "All is green!"

Misato glance at the Commander Akari. "At your command, Captain." He said blandly, barely sparing her a glance.

"Well then… Launch!"

The Eva was launched shortly after. In the Headquarters everyone stared as the giant machine went upwards to reach the surface; the only sound that could be heard were from the computers and equipment working, no one dared to say a word, no one could. This was it, the moment of truth for the entire Evangelion Project. The defining moment of humanity. If Akira fail to defeat the Angel, humanity's weapon against those monsters, and their final hope, would be destroy.

Misato was tense, probably tenser than anyone in that room. It was up to her to guide that child through the entire ordeal, and so far she knew it was a hard endeavor. Misato Katsuragi could tell there was something wrong with the girl, rather than look afraid or confused, she seemed lost. And that far away glance she had reminded her of herself after her father died, after the second impact. Her mental evaluation stated that girl was rather cold and cynical, and yet, her behavior so far was the complete opposite; granted the circumstances were abnormal to say the least.

Misato swore to herself to learn more about the girl, after making sure she survives the night.

They watched, holding their breaths as Unit 01 reached the surface. It was then that all hell broke loose.

* * *

**END! For now... Let me know what you think, be honest, please. BTW, don't take the story too seriously. Now for some post-details:**

**I was thinking of making it longer but I guess it never works for me (making long chapters) and besides, I found the script for the first episode, and it ended right after Shinji was ready for the fight (I didn't remember that!) Anyway, in future chapters I'll explain what more of the plot.**

**EDIT: Thanks to Crownlessking21's insight, I corrected the huge blunder that was the previous Author's Note. I honestly didn't realize what I've done until he brought it up. So, thanks once again.**

**Besides that, I re-read the chapter (Thanks to FF's phone app that has a Text to Speech function) and found out the sheer amount of mistakes I made. So I re-edited and added some details here and there. Sorry to everyone that read the previous version. Once I upload the second chapter, I'll put the same notice to let the rest know.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Eva Unit 01 has reach surface!"

Misato stared at the giant monitor display at the Nerv HQ Operations Room. Every witness, alongside the captain, held their respective breaths as they watch the imminent clash between the giants. Two worlds colliding. Their results defining the destruction or survival of the entire Humankind.

Misato gave a subtle glance at her superiors. Sub-commander Fuyutsuki seemed amused if not a little contemplative at the situation. While Commander Ikari kept his stern visage, as always.

Misato bit her lip, close to drawing blood. Her entire figure was tense with the prospect of what the outcome could be. She wasn't one to let pessimism take control of her, but staring at the alien form of their opponent, dark memories of 15 years ago dared to drown her in that old pain of losing so much, so fast.

She never voiced her distaste for the title given to the creatures. Angels. She always scoffed in some manner to that label. How in God's name are those _things_ angels? True angels are meant to protect and bring salvation to humanity, not destruction and pain. She clenched the cross hanging in her neck fiercely. Who was the deranged bastard that name them as such? Who was the demented prick that accepted the name and spread it? If she ever finds either of them, she'll give them a piece of her mind.

"Deep breaths, girl." Ritsuko said rigidly. Misato sighed at her friend's words. Even when consoling a child, she sounded so strict. "Think of walking. One step at a time."

If there was any chatter before, it was completely gone now, as they watch in anticipation for the girl to make the first move. Her synch rate indicated it would be like a walk on the park, yet this entire operation was nothing to take lightly, much less underestimate.

But the numbers differed, after an initial and strange spike of almost a 100, which then dropped to 40 and jumped back to a 200, all through the span of seconds, the numbers finally settled in a firm 50 percent. It was unheard of and impressive as well. Misato had read that the girl was confident and had a good head between her shoulders, but this was a godsend.

The war machine didn't move to make a step, instead, it leaped forward and moved in high velocity. Everyone was caught off guard. Some had their jaws agape, while the engineers and analysts moved quickly to attempt to comprehend the impossibility of the action.

"Neural activity is up the roof!"

"Synch ratio is going erratic, but rising!"

"Doctor Akagi! The pilot is suffering mental contamination!"

Ritsuko launched herself towards Maya, checking the results. "Impossible!"

Her words, her tone of voice. It was foreboding to the captain. Misato waited for an explanation, but it never came. Ritsuko only stared at the screen with morbid fright in her visage. Misato then glance at the monitors, the Unit tackled the Angel, who wasn't fast enough to react to the stampeding machine.

"Akira! Akira, can you hear me?!" Misato tried to reach the girl. It was clear that none of the staff in charge of keeping the Unit in check knew what was happening, so Misato needed to know from the source herself.

"Communication with the Unit has been lost, captain!" The analyst to her left said. He was typing furiously in his keyboard, as were the others. The situation was out of control.

In the monitors, Misato could see that the Eva had the Angel pinned to the ground. One hand was holding the creature's arms above its head, while the other kept pummelling the alien. One, two, three and more punches to the face and core. Then, instead of quantity, the purple giant went for quality, as every blow held massive such strength, every contact left an imprint. Each strike held power, causing the Angel to produce some sort of snarl.

All around her, the staff either watch with morbid fascination at the screen or worked hard to get some semblance of understanding. The spectacle was fascinating at some degree. The utter dominance was a sight to behold, and the more vicious side of Misato couldn't deny that she enjoyed seeing the monster getting what it deserved. But whatever caused Akira to obtain control of the Eva was more than likely acting as a double edge sword.

Misato was powerless, again. If she was younger, if the Marduk Report allow her to pilot those thrice damn machines, she would volunteer without a thought. No need to put someone else in danger. Much less a child.

She was resigning herself to watch the monster be defeated and humanity (Not Nerv or the UN) scored the first of, hopefully, many victories.

That was until the Angel managed to pull an arm out of Unit 01's grip. Placing it on the Eva's head and piercing it with its red lance that was attached to the arms of the creature.

The lights went red. Dozens of alarm notices flooded the Operations Room, which instantly morphed into a cacophony of rushed voices, each reporting the damages and their consequences to Ritsuko and Misato. The head in charge had enough of this.

"Eject the Pilot!" Misato commanded.

"Negative! The Ejection system is failing. We can't eject the pilot!"

"What!"

And the piercing went on like a jackhammer. Each thrust to the cranium send the monitoring system in a new set of blaring alarms. By what little she caught from the simultaneous yelling, the Eva's condition was critical. Before Misato could even start planning what the next course of action would be, the comm system was enabled, and with it, came the screams.

* * *

Her mind drift to the microcosm that was her inner consciousness. The vague remembrance that were her fleeting memories. The unconnected fragments that formed an incomplete puzzle.

Life, from an early age, for her, was deprived of many wondrous things any other kid would have. Her life felt so alien to those of her peers throughout the years. She accepted it, though. She went with everyone else's expectations of her, following their words as gospels, lacking a true mind of her own. Childhood, teenage years and early adulthood. She'd broke the chains that held her down for so long, but by then it was too late. After making a conscious decision, she wasn't meant to open her eyes.

Yet, she was staring at the white ceiling. The smell of sanitation told her she was at a hospital, or a medical facility in general. She had survived for some reason. A cloth covered the right side of her face and her abdomen was on fire. Right now, her mind was foggy but she could sense the hints of a massive headache. Her head felt like lead, but whatever biotics she was on, kept all pain from being unbearable.

She couldn't help but frown at her predicament. No one survived a fall out of that height, much less to only have half of her face bandaged and some other pains. She could feel all her limbs as well.

Then she remembered. The nightmarish vision her mind had constructed. Giant, terrifying creatures. Impossible machines that turned her brain into mush but…

The moment she connected to the machine, it felt so fulfilling. She became a jigsaw puzzle piece that fitted perfectly with the purple behemoth. The floating sensation provided her much needed peace until… until that demonic giant attacked.

From the corner of her eye, she saw movement. Turning her head slowly, as to not aggravate her headache, she saw her reflection; no, a mirror but it wasn't her.

She was Asumi Nemuri. Dark hair and fair complexion with bright brown eyes. This person in front of her was as pale as a ghost, her hair was an impossible pale blue and those eyes! Her eyes were red! So why? Why did it felt like she was looking at herself?

The headache was getting stronger. Her thoughts were scattering and they only drew dark conclusions. Asumi prided herself on being focused and well composed, but right now her head felt like scrambled eggs.

A familiar sense of dread was overtaking her the longer she stared at her twin-like person. She shut her eyes, hoping the figure to go away. She took some deep breaths and opened them again.

The girl was gone.

Asumi let a sigh of relief. She gathered some strength in her muscles and stood up. She disconnected her arm from the tube of the IV and after some stumbles and sways, she left the hospital room.

The corridor had the same whiteness, the same sterile coldness as the room behind her. It made her feel like shrinking. So Asumi tried to pay no mind to it. She turned left and started walking down the hallways, turning every so often.

She stopped abruptly next to one of the rooms. She stared at it, it was oddly enough, a regular door. But she couldn't take her eyes away from it. Taking a step forward, she opened it and entered.

At the end of the room was a figure resting in the bed. Asumi approaches the person and sharply halted her advancement when she recognized the figure.

The pain in her head came like truck, making her lose her balance. She grab on to the bed to avoid falling, only to feel her guts making funny motions and she gagged in pain.

The commotion caused the other girl to wake up. Irrational fear, confusion and wonder filled the forefront of her mind. But the vortex of negativity was about to swallow her mind, to drive her into the endless abyss of madness and-

"Pilot Ikari."

The soft voice the being in front of her brought her out of her dark reverie. The girl had woke up. Thoughts came forth bringing the terrifying realization that somehow her nightmare was in fact, real. Complete and absolute.

She was Akira Ikari now. In a twist of fate, she was now part of an old show she barely got the chance to watch over ten years ago. She remembered well enough to recognize some of the most iconic moments and characters but that wasn't the issue.

The how and the why played at the forefront of her mind. There was no logical explanation for this. In the slightest.

What was she to do? She now took the role from of Third Pilot from the main character, who somehow perished before the events started. It made her feel dirty, but it wasn't her fault either. She hadn't asked for this.

Now, the expectations and hopes of humanity laid on her shoulders. She wasn't capable of dealing with her parent's demands, now the worlds too?

"Are you feeling ill, Pilot Ikari?"

Right, her mind was drifting again. She turned to the girl next to her, still resting on her bed. Rei Ayanami, she remembered. Stoic, emotionless and…

There was something else, but Akira couldn't concentrate right now.

Rei looked… bad. Her right arm was in a cast. And her right eye was covered with a patch, much like Akira's. Her body posture betrayed nothing, but her crimson eyes told another tale. There was a gleam to them. They were wide, like a child in a candy store. Surprised and…

Akira knew that look. She always watch others interact with their peers. Always an outsider, a voyeur.

"I am…" she clear her throat. It was raspy and it hurt the longer she spoke without break. "...fine."

Rei nodded, letting go of Akira's hand. _When was she holding it?_ "It's preferable to lay down and rest…" it seemed the girl wanted to say more but she only closed her eye.

Akira did the same, taking a more comfortable position in the chair. Leaving right now felt wrong. So, ignoring any trail of thought that attempted to manifest itself, she tried to rest. She was an introspective being, but so far, her mind was acting against her. Before falling into the world of sleeplessness, some else entered the room.

"Akira."

The stern visage of the man at the door got rid of any tiredness she had. The dark glare made her straighten in her seat.

"Father."

The words came out so easy, it felt natural. By now, she knew not to trust her own mind. Not now, at least.

"You are not supposed to be here."

"I wanted to… see Rei"

The man said nothing as they stare at each other. Then, after a moment, he walked to the other side of the bed. "Leave."

She nodded, not really feeling like arguing. And before she reached the door, a thought came to her. A small inconsistency from her presence her and what she remember "Father," The man glared at her, but kept quiet. "I wondered… why is my name Akira? I mean, I know mom wanted Shinji if she had a boy and-" _Rei_ for a girl.

The man jumped out of his seat, his voice furious "How do you know that?!"

She held herself from flinching, from running away in fear at the adverse reaction he had. But, either she was too tired to react or she really didn't cared by the end of the day. "I doesn't matter. So?"

The blasé tone she used seemed to worsen Gendo's mood. He was visibly trembling with anger, fighting with himself in how to act next. The internal conflict was over when he slightly drop his stance and adjusted his glasses. "It's simple," every word sounded like it pained him. Most likely he'd rather shout at her than give her an answer. "I named you."

* * *

Misato groaned as she drank a fizzy soda, she was prohibited from drinking beer in her job, which she wished she could as of now, at least Nerv's Lounging Room had a great selection of drinks. Jumping from channel to channel, it irked her how much Nerv covered the entire fight against the foreign invader.

The clean-up finished faster than she expected, but the damage to the city wasn't as big as she feared either, making the entire process easier as well as the cover up. All in all, the Japanese army and the UN were satisfied with the results. If they knew the entirety of the situation, with the conditions they were with the pilot, they would call it a miracle.

Ritsuko eyed her with a quirked eyebrow at the other side of the table. "You seem troubled."

"Mah, Public Relations finally have something to do." She took a downed her drink. "Still, I'm not a fan of how in the dark the people are being kept."

"What else do you want?" Ritsuko scoffed, "The Angels have returned after 15 years. How will they react?"

Misato ignored her friend's chastising tone. "So, there's bliss in ignorance. Is that what you"re trying to say?" The captain scrutinized her friend. Ritsuko tends to be awfully logical, to the point that makes her sound heartless, but the blonde always have a reason to act or say in any way.

"We'll gain nothing from telling them. Just headaches. Besides, what change would it make? They'll panic and demand action, answers… it's not worth the trouble." Ritsuko then lighted a cigarette. Misato's resolve was crumbling.

"But if they don't know it'd be like it didn't happen at all."

Ritsuko snorted, "What, you mean the whole _'tree that fell in the forest'_? You're thinking about it too much."

"Maybe." Misato sighed, slumping in the desk. "What about Akira-chan anyway? Everything was so sudden."

"Not sudden, out of control." Misato saw her friend's frown. Her tone of voice getting lower. "We knew that she might not have a proper connection with Unit 01, being an alternative and all. But she lost control."

"How it happened anyway?"

"Many things were factor in the unpredictable reaction the Eva had to her. The synch was one thing. But the mental contamination caused her to go wild. Honestly we weren't prepared for her, our entire algorithm was focused on an ideal candidate for a pilot. It was a stupid oversight that we didn't seriously considered to make better preparations."

The phone on the wall rang. Ritsuko stood up and picked it up. After a short conversation she nodded and hung up. "She woke up. Gave the medics a fright when she wasn't in her bedroom."

"Where was she?" Misato raised an eyebrow.

"Ayanami's room." The blonde doctor finished her smoke and threw at a bin. "You'll pick her up?"

"Yep!" Misato said cheerfully. "But tell me something, Rits. What should I expect? She's being unconscious for three days."

"Nothing much." The woman shrugged. "We made several and thorough brain scans to make sure there wasn't any lasting damage, so you don't have anything to worry about. If anything just avoid stressing her much. No loud noises and she needs to rest for a few days."

Misato nodded and put on her red jacket. "Got it. I'm off then."

* * *

Misato finally arrived at the Medical Facility. Once she entered the building it didn't took long for her to find the young girl. She was sitting in one of the chairs in the Waiting Area, a nurse was speaking to her while the teenager drank from a plastic bottle.

Misato approached the two and their conversation halted to eye the blue haired woman.

"You must be Captain Katsuragi." The nurse stated rather than ask. Misato nodded her affirmation. "Good, make sure Miss Ikari take this prescription pills two times per day for the next week. They are for her headaches and the pain in her abdomen."

Misato nodded and received the medicine. She looked at the girl, who eyed her with curiosity with her only eye visible.

The imbalanced Synch rate meant her neuronal connection with the Eva was higher, which in itself meant the damage the machine felt cause the girl to suffer a similar fate. Fortunately there won't be any lasting damage.

There were no words to say between the two. They walked to the Captain's car and entered. Soon enough Akira got herself comfortable and closed her eye. Misato minded her speed as to not aggravate the girl's pain. She had seen enough with Rei.

After some minutes of silence the girl spoke first. "Where are you taking me, Captain?"

Misato wasn't sure what to feel about a 14 year old referring to her by rank. "You can call me Misato." The first step was always creating familiarity, let them know they have someone to trust. "I'll be taking you to HQ to see where you'll be allocated. Although I don't know if the Commander is capable of taking guardianship of you."

"No." She said firmly. "Don't bother. I want a place of my own-"

"I can't allow you to be by yourself. And besides, even if Commander Ikari is not available you need a legal guardian."

Akira hesitated for a moment, looking for anything to use for an argument, "Rei lives alone, I can too."

"How do you know that?" And it completely backfired on her.

Misato sighed after realizing the girl wasn't going to give her a reply. She eyed the teenager. She was glaring at the green view of the forest surrounding them, she looked sullen, and the medical eyepatch seemed to magnify her stern face. _Much like her father._

Akira's profile said the girl was hard to work with and looks down on people, but the girl in front of her was solemn and almost defeated. It might have been the pain she was in, the experience in the Eva or… maybe the Death of her brother had taken a bigger toll than anyone could've expected. None of the reports she was given to her divulge in the sibling relationship but if Misato knew something about losing someone dear, was that you never truly heal from that pain.

"Fine…" she had to make a compromise. "I know what to do. I'll make a call."

She went to pick up her phone, forgetting for a moment that she was driving as well, at a high speed. Akira yelped and grabbed the wheel to prevent a disaster. "Ca-Captain?!" The girl stuttered in fear, as she gained control of the car.

Misato laughed sheepishly and dial a number. "I'm really sorry," Misato wanted to say more, but the person at the other side of the line answer the phone. Misato's voice turned serious. "Hey, it's me. I want to the guardianship of Akira-chan!"

In the girl's surprise, she steered the wheel to the side, making them shriek in fear. Misato grabbed the wheel before anything else happened and ignored Akira's incredulous stare.

"Take Rei too!"

Misato, not expecting such words, halted the car, making Akira hit her head with the dashboard, again. The higher up at the other side kept shouting, wanting to know what happen.

* * *

In the end, the two had gone to Nerv HQ to prepare the paperwork for guardianship and the transfer of the girl's things to Misato's apartment. The matter of Rei was left on hold, due to the need to Commander Ikari's approval. Misato would've scoff at that if the man didn't made her paychecks. (He most likely didn't, but he was nonetheless, her boss.)

It was Akira who argue the reason as to why Rei should stay with them. Argument that was taken in consideration by the higher up.

"I will be a pilot, and although Rei incapacitated, she beats me in seniority, experience and knowledge on the subject. It will be fruitful for my development as a pilot to learn from her, but also knowing each other will facilitate team work in future operations."

Misato was rather impressed at the fancy way she said it. But the swelling in her forehead and the ice bag preventing the girl's headache from worsening took the mystique of her words down a notch. The higher up seemed convinced at Akira's reasoning and told them to wait for a response in a few days. They left soon after Misato called Ritsuko to tell her the wonderful news.

There wasn't much talk afterwards between the two. Akira's headache caught on to her and decided to rest. Misato drove to a convenience store and bought instant food and drinks for tonight's meal, all while ignoring the stares she was getting for buying 'too much' beer.

Misato wanted to show Akira the city at sunset. It was a beautiful view, and to say some encouraging words, but given the girl's condition, she decided against it. She went straight to her apartment complex.

The streets were empty. Emptier than before, that was for certain. Many left after the fight, some were witness of the presence of the Angel and it was enough to scare them away. In that regard, Misato felt like agreeing with Nerv about telling the masses.

Once she stopped the car she shook the girl away and helped her up to their apartment.

Misato set up the food and Akira ate bountifully. Without Misato realizing, the girl had gotten a hold on some of her Yebisu beer, and shug it before spitting it out.

"Hey, Hey! What do you think you're doing? You can't drink beer!"

"I successfully stop the end of humanity," she grunted. "I can afford some 'forbidden' pleasures." Misato's eyebrows shot up with the way she said those words. "Besides, this beer is horrible. Have some standards, Captain."

"What?! First of all, call me Misato. Second, Yebisu isn't horrible, it's a fine beer, one of the best you'll find out there. Give me that!" She tried to take the can of beer.

Their banter didn't lasted long, both enjoying the instant food. Soon enough Akira went on to hold her head. Misato noticed. "Take a bath and go to sleep. When Rei's here, we'll schedule the chores, ok?"

The girl nodded and slowly made her way to the bathroom. Misato hoped she received the authorization to bring Rei along; she might have acted impulsively by taking Akira, but right now the idea was growing on her. Maybe having Rei too wouldn't be too bad.

Suddenly the door was opened and a black blur was send flying towards her. Misato wasn't fast enough and the collision threw her to the ground.

"Ow…. PenPen?" The penguin in her arms looked glazed. Misato looked back to the door, seeing a very flushed and very naked Akira.

"K-keep that pervy penguin away!"

Misato stayed on the floor, slacked-jaw. "Per-pervy?"

* * *

**I suck at comedy, please forgive me.**

**So, after reading and re-reading the first chapter, I feel I was too ambitious with the internal thoughts of Akira, so there's not many of them here, I tried to explain it by giving her a nasty headache after fight. I didn't include the end of the fight because I thought it was slightly unnecessary, it's obvious she won and got some battle scars. You might notice that I didn't know how to end the chapter, so hope it isn't too awful.**

**I wrote this back in July, but never felt like updating the story, I've been stupidly busy with college. **

**It's been too long since I watched Evangelion, but caught a glimpse of the early episodes recently, so I'm getting some ideas on what's about to happen.**


End file.
